There are many cancer researchers throughout the United States who either wish to perform or are involved in laboratory investigations with human tumors and/or other human tissues. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) was selected as one of the three initial research institutions to comprise the Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) which was established in January, 1987, by the National Cancer Institute to provide a dependable source of human tissues for cancer research. The UAB Southwestern Division of the CHTN has enthusiastically and effectively participated in all CHTN cooperative activities, including the establishment of policies and guidelines for CHTN operation. The UAB Southwestern Division has taken a leading role in 1) developing guidelines to protect against the biohazards involved in supplying human tissues, 2) publicizing the availability of human tissues to the research community through design of the CHTN logo, brochure, exhibit, and attendance at scientific meetings, and 3) standardizing and networking collection protocols and tissue requests. The UAB Southwestern Division of the CHTN, which primarily serves researchers in the Southern and Southwestern United States, has provided 5913 fresh, frozen, and fixed human tissue specimens to 162 investigators at 122 institutions during the first three years of operation. The UAB Southwestern Division will continue to obtain for cancer researchers human tissues from routine diagnostic or therapeutic surgical procedures and from autopsies from the UAB associated hospitals and two local community hospitals. Because of demonstrated success in supplying research tissues and due to the continuing increase in demand for high quality human tissues by the research community, UAB proposes to expand existing operations by the addition of consortium agreements with the Bay Area Tumor Institute in Oakland, the University of Colorado at Denver, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville. These participating institutions will provide access to tissues from more than 120,000 surgical procedures and over 1000 autopsies. UAB currently operates one of the most efficient national acquisition programs for obtaining human tissues for cancer research. The success of their participation in the CHTN warrants UAB's continued funding as a division of this national network. UAB provides a proven record of success and commitment in supplying high quality human tissues to cancer researchers throughout the United States.
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